The Houthis attacked US ships, which the Pentagon said included eight drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and three anti-ship cruise missiles.

The US Pentagon said a series of missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels against two US Navy destroyers, the USS Stockdale and the USS Spruance, had been foiled in the Red Sea.

Earlier on November 12, the Houthis attacked US ships, which the Pentagon said included eight drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and three anti-ship cruise missiles.

The US destroyers involved in the operation recovered and defeated the incoming threats with no damage to the ships and no injuries to personnel, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.

Rising tensions in the Red Sea

The attack is the latest in a series of strikes that US Central Command has carried out against Houthi armored vehicle depots in Yemen. It also marks the Houthis’ continued targeting of international shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a very important seaway as it links the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, through which about $1 trillion in global trade passes annually.

The Houthis are an Iranian-backed faction in Yemen, part of a larger network of Middle Eastern armed groups linked to Iran, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Gaza’s Hamas. In recent weeks, the group has escalated its maritime attacks, citing solidarity with the Palestinians as justification in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. As of November 2023, reports indicated that the Houthis had targeted more than 90 merchant ships, seized one, and sunk two others. Several sailors died.

Conflicting statements and strategic targeting

Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV reported that US warships were attacked in several airstrikes. Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea said: “We have ‘successfully’ attacked the USS Abraham Lincoln with cruise missiles.” However, Ryder denied the attacks on the Abraham Lincoln, stating that “in fact, the USS Stockdale and the USS Spruance were attacked and neither ship was damaged.”

Series of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea

Monday’s attack marks the latest in a series of attacks on maritime vessels that have prompted efforts by the US-led coalition to strengthen security around the Red Sea. In fact, earlier this year the United States, Great Britain and 12 allied countries launched “Operation Prosperity Guardian” with the aim of securing merchant ships there.

Despite coalition efforts, Houthi attacks on international shipping continue unabated. According to sources, the group collects “port fees” from certain shipping agencies to allow ships to pass safely, earning a reported unprecedented monthly sum of $180 million.

The US response

In response to the Houthi attacks, the US launched coordinated airstrikes against Houthi launch sites in Yemen. Already this month, the US military has struck 15 Houthi targets, focusing on stripping them of their ability to threaten shipping. “We continue to be vigilant,” Ryder said. “We will continue to make it clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks.”

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